Actor-politician Mukesh grilled for 3hrs after arrest, released on bail
Malayalam actor and legislator M Mukesh was arrested on Tuesday (September 24) on charges of rape but was later released on bail. The arrest followed an anticipatory bail he had previously secured from an Ernakulam court. Mukesh presented himself before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) at the Coastal Police Headquarters at 9:45am where he was questioned for approximately three and a half hours as part of the ongoing investigation.
Allegations against Mukesh and other Malayalam actors
The charges against Mukesh were brought by a former actor in the Malayalam film industry. She alleged that Mukesh, a two-time Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA from Kollam Assembly constituency, had raped her in 2010 at his flat in Kochi under the pretense of offering her membership in the actors' association AMMA. The same woman has also lodged complaints against another actor Edavela Babu, a prominent figure in AMMA.
Mukesh faces 2 separate cases amid ongoing investigation
Following his arrest in Kochi after nearly three hours of questioning by a special team, Mukesh was released from the police station. He did not respond to media inquiries. Two separate cases have been registered against him: one by the Wadakkanchery Police and another by the Maradu Police. The complaints include serious allegations, including rape, leading to an FIR being lodged under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Kerala HC denied anticipatory bail to Siddique
Earlier on Tuesday, the Kerala High Court rejected fellow actor and former AMMA general secretary Siddique's anticipatory bail application on similar allegations. A young woman actor had made the allegation through the media, following which Siddique was forced to step down as AMMA's general secretary. Subsequently, she filed a complaint with Thiruvananthapuram City Police which registered an FIR under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.
Actors denied allegations, citing 'blackmail tactics'
The actors have denied the allegations, describing them as "blackmail tactics" and a "criminal conspiracy to tarnish the reputation of the Malayalam industry." Mukesh, who has had a prominent career in Malayalam cinema and currently serves as an MLA, has asserted that the allegations against him are unfounded. He claims that the accusations stem from his refusal to give in to blackmail attempts made by the complainant.
Court's observations on Mukesh's anticipatory bail
While granting Mukesh anticipatory bail earlier this month, the sessions court in Ernakulam observed that the complainant had not mentioned about forcible sexual intercourse in her first statement but claimed about use of force only after initial hearing of the bail plea. The judge Honey M Varghese, who examined the veracity of the allegations for considering the pre-arrest bail plea, said: "There is a clear distinction between rape and consensual sex."
